Strings and Ties
by tumblingintowells
Summary: Tenten and Kankuro's story all started with her appointment as the official Konoha part of the Konoha-Suna liaison several months after the conclusion of the Fourth Great Shinobi War. Rated T because I'm paranoid. Automatically AU now that chapter 614 has happened.


**Strings and Ties****  
><strong>A Naruto Fanfiction  
><strong>By: <strong>GoldenDragonClouds

It all started with that trip to Sunagakure, several months after the conclusion of the Fourth Great Shinobi War.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

She supposed it all started with that trip to Sunagakure, several months after the conclusion of the Fourth Great Shinobi War. She, Shikamaru, and Naruto had been sent on a diplomatic mission to Sunagakure, the next host for the invitational Chunin exams.

After one particularly long and boring meeting with the Sunagakure Council of Clan Heads Kankuro had offered to buy all of them lunch - which they had all quickly agreed to - but Gaara and Naruto were called off to yet another meeting and Shikamaru had been dragged who knows where by one Sabaku no Temari and somehow it had all boiled down to just Tenten and Kankuro sitting at the table for six he had reserved at a fancy restaurant.

They had had a pleasant time, and one lunch led to another and another and by the end of the trip Tenten had gone to lunch with Kankuro every day bar one - not to mention the two dinners they had shared on the last two nights of her mission.

Before she knew it she was back home in Konoha with Shikamaru, Naruto, and Temari, Temari telling Tsunade all about Tenten's unexpected but impressive diplomatic skills with the Sunagakure Council. Within days, Tenten had been offered the position of the official Konoha part of the Konoha-Suna liaison with Temari as her acting partner, and was explaining the situation to her team to ask for advice on how to approach the situation.

To say that Neji and Lee were not pleased was a gross understatement.

"But Tenten! Did we not promise each other when we became Chunin that no matter what happened, we would stay together as a team?" Lee shouted at her agitatedly while Neji honestly looked as if he was about to kill someone.

"Lee! I know; I'll still be going on missions with you and all - it's just that I'll be visiting Sunagakure more often than any other village and-"

"If the frequency by which we are able to see Temari-san in Konoha is any indication of the amount of travel your position entails, there will be far less time for you to devote yourself to your team." Neji ground out.

"If Temari and I work as a team the work will be distributed between the two of us instead of just one person and-"

Neji merely raised an elegant eyebrow while Lee gave her an unnerving stare.

Obviously, Tenten's efforts to placate her team was not working. She sighed, breathing in deeply in order to steel herself for what she was going to say next.

"Guys, I love you, but you both know this is a really big chance for me-"

"But the war is only just over and we have not achieved our status as number one team in the village just yet!"

"Lee! Just. Just listen to me." Tenten sighed again. "Sunagakure requested for me specifically-"

"Do you not think that perhaps this is because the council members believe that as a young female from an opulent Hidden Village such as Konoha you may be more easily convinced towards their views than other-"

"WHAT?" Neji shut up, eyes briefly going wide. Lee cringed, fully knowing what was coming next.

"Did you just call me weak-willed?"

"I was not insinuating that you are easily fooled, no - I was merely stating an observation I have made with the councils that I have attended-"

"You did not just call me weak-willed!"

Lee sighed uncharacteristically and sat down on a nearby boulder, making himself comfortable for the resulting argument that was bound to last for at least half an hour before the two decided to add combat to their tactics.

The argument and resulting all out sparring session lasted five hours at the least.

Tenten agreed to the liaison position the next morning.

Tenten and Temari left for Sunagakure that afternoon.

When asked, Lee only shrugged and said, "It could have been worse," before turning back to his training. The rest of the village, on the other hand, thought that if the state of training ground B127 was anything to go by, there was absolutely no way it could have been worse.

Either way, three days later Tenten was enjoying yet another pleasant lunch in Sunagakure with none other than Sabaku no Kankuro, Sunagakure's resident Puppet Master, as the newest Konoha-Suna liaison.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

The ending's a bit abrupt, but I couldn't seem to find another way to end this one. I also know I should be updating my other fics, but my creative abilities have left me and I've been resorting to my old scraps for inspiration. So, _viola_. My muse and editor gave the green for this fic, so here it is.

Reviews are love!

Ja Ne,  
>~Golden<p> 


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